Treme actor Michael Showers has been found dead in the Mississippi River.

He was spotted in the water near New Orleans' French Quarter on Wednesday morning by a passing steamboat captain, according to local daily the Times-Picayune.

Showers, who was 45 years old, appeared in a recurring role as police captain John Guidry on the HBO drama.

A coroner's representative said that he appeared to have been in the water for about two days. An autopsy is due to take place to establish a cause of death.

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A spokesperson for the St Bernard's Sheriff's Office also told reporters that the actor, who lived in Chalmette, was reported missing by his girlfriend on Tuesday when he failed to return home following a night out.